Mwamba's Other People (Act Two: Vertebrates)

Let us continue introducing some more of our neighbors. People are slightly more comfortable with these animals because we share one common characteristic with these species: a backbone. This characteristic is found in fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. Again, I realize that there are probably not many fan clubs, nor groupies for some of these animals but let me try again to shed some light on these misunderstood creatures.

Fish. Inhabitants of a world that is completely alien to us land-lubbers, even for those individuals that have spent a lifetime studying this water world. But especially for those of us coming from land-locked places (see July blog post, Being Tourists Pt. 1). Here is a group of animals that has the ability to breath underwater, extracting oxygen from water through gills! In general, fish are covered in scales, have fins and are "cold blooded" (meaning their body temperature is influenced by the outside environment), although there are exceptions to these generalizations. With over 31,500 species fish exhibit the greatest species of diversity among vertebrates, ranging from the tiny (a stout infantfish reaches 8mm in length when full grown) to the huge (the whale shark can reach 16m). The coral reefs around the Watamu and Malindi area are rich in fish and other aquatic species. 

I caught this little guy in the surf on the beach.
 I don't know what species, or if its an adult or young.
 But its freakin' see through!!

Reptiles. The average reptile probably causes much more concern than the average fish. Mainly because fish stay in the water while many reptiles find the same places we enjoy, just as enjoyable. Take a coastal area such as Watamu. People love this area because it is warm, has lots of sun and the food is pretty good too (especially with Italian pizza and gelato thrown in). Reptiles also enjoy "the beach" for exactly the same reasons. Life is relatively easy and reptiles thrive here.

The reptile most seen at Mwamba is the common house gecko. These nocturnal geckos can be found crawling all over the walls and roofs of buildings. They are especially fond of hanging out near lights since their insect prey are attracted by the hundreds. Sometimes up to ten geckos can be seen near a light source snapping up all sorts of insects.

Young geckos are quite small.

Like all other geckos they have the remarkable ability to cling to any surface through their unique toe pads. This species also has the ability to lose its tail to an attacking predator. Unfortunately for the gecko, its tail cannot grow back, so its a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Fairly easy to catch if they could be cornered.

They can squeeze between very narrow places and are a common source of electrical shortages. We have even found an entire family (adult, young and eggs) fried in a electrical switch box. I can imagine a gecko couple deciding that its a perfect place to raise a family until the kids discover "What does this wire do?" FZZZTT! We have also found them smashed between books and crushed under cushions and mattresses.

This gecko got squished between the door and the frame.
It survived but has some battle scars.

A White-throated Savannah Monitor Lizard

Our friendly neighbourhood Speckled Mouth Skink

Snakes are another fairly common but not seen reptile. Kenya has 127 species, with many found on the coast. Snakes love the coast for the same reasons that people do: its warm, there is lots of sun and the food is pretty good too (especially with Italian pizza and gelatto thrown in). Snakes have a poor reputation in Kenya because some species can and do, injure/kill people. Yet all snakes, especially the poisonous species, provide the invaluable and free service of pest control. Farmers scratch their heads in confusion after the local mambas and cobras are killed and rats begin eating through the maize crops because they don't understand this connection. If you want to learn more about snakes (especially the deadly ones) visit http://www.bio-ken.com/, we have visited Bio-Ken Snake Farm and found it quite interesting. During our time at Mwamba we saw a number of different species:

Stripe-bellied Sand Snake:

A fast moving snake, this is a member of the back-fanged snakes. Species of this family have varying degrees of toxicity but this particular species is not deadly to humans but can give a good bite (which it promptly did when caught by William, the local handyman/snake handler).

The Spotted Bush Snake:

A very beautifully coloured snake that is very thin and sleek. It is harmless to human beings but deadly to frogs and lizards.

And the definite highlight, a Green Mamba:

This is a snake you do not mess with. It probably ranks 3rd in terms of deadliest snake in Kenya behind the brown cobra and the black mamba. Its venom is a neurotoxin, that causes paralysis and eventual death. This one was caught on the property while it was hunting squirrels (more about this incident in a later post).

Other reptiles to be found include turtles and tortoises.

Interesting fact: The vertebrae of a tortoise is fused to the top of its shell!

Birds. Kenya is blessed with many bird species and at Mwamba there are a number of species commonly seen. Perhaps the most colourful to be found are the two species of kingfishers.

The Mangrove Kingfisher...

...and the Pygmy Kingfisher.

Finally the most amusing is the troop of Sykes monkeys that frequent the area. They can get into a lot of mischief and have been known to steal bread from the toaster, try to drive cars, use telephone lines as swings and muck about with tree nurseries.

Such inquisitive eyes.

A little back scratch.

The discovery of the trampoline!

Well there you have it. These are the neighbors in our neighborhood, in our neighborhood, in our neighborhood...